During the manufacturing of components from fibre-reinforced plastics, such as from carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP), plastics reinforced with aramide fibres and such, often generally unavoidable dimensional deviations associated with the production through unforeseeable dimensional changes during the curing process of the components occur. A mechanical joining of such components can be provided in a substantially tension-less state, if a tolerance compensation between the components through reduction of the clearance is accomplished. This counteracts delaminations due to inner mechanical tensions, that particularly positively influences the lifespan in aviation applications.
It is known to reduce the clearance by inserting solid inserts or by providing a liquid or pasty, curable compensation compound into the gap of a joining region between two components and curing the same in a substantially tension-free state of the components. However, an adhesion of the components to be joined during providing the compensation compound is to be avoided particularly at structurally load bearing components in aviation applications. For this reason, at least at one component, a separating foil is arranged, which prevents the compensation compound from adhesively bonding to the respective component. Both components may be separated from each other after curing the compensation compound for further treatment of the joining area. For this purpose, separating foils usually comprise an anti-stick layer made from a suitable material, e.g. polytetrafluoroethylene, which is at one side equipped with a base layer, such as a glass fibre fabric for a reinforcement. This may be provided with a self-adhesive layer, which allows a subsequent removal of the separating foil.
For ensuring a correct positioning of the components in the joining area it is known to use clamping and positioning devices, respectively, which temporarily hold both components in a predetermined distance, such that the compensation compound may be cured with a constant clearance.
Since the curing of such a compensation material may take a certain time, during which a further treatment of the superordinate assembly is not possible, it is known to accelerate the curing process by supplying heat. This may be conducted by increasing the ambient temperature, by heating the components in an oven or an autoclave or by using infrared radiators, heating mats or microwave radiators. However, such an approach is laborious, in particular in conjunction with larger components, e.g. fuselage components of an aircraft.
The above-mentioned separating foil may be modified through integration of a heating layer, such that a very direct, local heat supply may be accomplished. Thus, a curing of the compensation compound may clearly be accelerated through application of an electrical current to the heating layer. Such a separating foil is known from DE 10 2013 114 574 A1.